Mr. B.! Where'ya Been, Man?

Wow! It's been like a week or so since I blogged.

Sorry. I have been pretty busy. I am trying to maintain six classrooms, be a Freshman Class Representative, Grade a Million Projects, you get the idea.

Classes have been going fairly well for the most part. I wondered for quite awhile about my planning. I seem to only be about 2-3 days ahead in my Web Design Classes and only about 1-2 days ahead in my Technology I classes.

When I was back at Berthoud High School doing my student teaching, my cooperating teacher, Mr. Lobdell, always wanted me to be "at least two weeks ahead of your classes" at all times. Meaning that I should have all of your lessons and activities planned out two weeks ahead of time.

I haven't been this year. I am only a couple of days ahead of things in most of my classes. When I got together with our Personnel and Training Coordinator, Sue Ann Highland, and asked her about this. She said, "No way! You never want to be more than a couple of days ahead of classes with your planning, especially in classes with a number of special needs kids." When I told her that I had to scrap a whole lecture last week and start all over again the next day, she was thrilled. "That means you're being a good teacher!" Theoretically, that means that I am in tune with my students and can tell when something isn't working and that I am willing to try over again instead of "Teaching Louder."

The one thing that she was disappointed in was that I have been staying rather late recently. I was at school until at least 6:30 p.m. each day last week. "Oh, please don't do that!" she said. "You'll be burned out by Christmas!" OK, I guess I am working too hard. She is working to help me know when to let some things go and when to hold on.

All in all, things are going pretty well, though. My student that hated me two weeks ago hates another teacher this week and has been doing fairly well in my class. However, her class is a pretty tough one to teach. There are a group of 6-7 kids in the 5th Period class that want to work hard and learn, and I have been letting them work ahead in the book and do advanced problems. They talk things over and figure them all out by themselves.

The rest of the class struggles to make a square.

It's not that they are dumb. They aren't. A few of them are motivationally challenged, however, and that seeps into the rest of the kids in the class. I may have to go to daily assignments for them, just to keep them on top of things.

Two of my Tech. classes are speeding right along. I decided to give them an "Expert Groups" Assignment at the end of the week. I split them into logical groups of two and assigned each group an AutoCAD command or two that they had to become experts at. They are completing a large Poster regarding their command and will be demonstrating their knowledge this week at a "Trade Show." Each group will set up a little booth with their poster and the computer and a presenter. Folks will rotate through the booths and learn all of the commands that they don't know yet and get a chance to practice at the booths.

I am hoping that it will be a fun way to learn some stuff without having to listen to me drone on and on. We'll see.

The nice thing is that it is Homecoming Week, so the schedule is pretty butchered and kids are a little scattered this week anyway. Each day, everyone is to dress up in a different way. Today was pajama day. Kids act slightly goofy when they are wearing pajamas. Tomorrow is Super Hero Day. You get the idea. Hard to get too serious about teaching in an atmosphere like that. That is why most of the stuff I am doing this week is pretty light hearted...